In semiconductor devices such as crystalline silicon solar cells that use a crystalline silicon substrate obtained by processing single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon into the shape of a flat sheet, electrodes are typically formed using an electro-conductive paste for electrode formation on the surface of the silicon substrate in order to realize electrical contact outside the device. Among semiconductor devices having electrodes formed in this manner, the production volume of crystalline silicon solar cells has increased considerably in recent years. These solar cells have an impurity diffusion layer, antireflective film and a light incident side electrode on one surface of a crystalline silicon substrate, and a back side electrode on the other surface. Electrical power generated by the crystalline silicon solar cell can be extracted outside the solar cell by the light incident side electrode and the back side electrode.
Electro-conductive paste containing electro-conductive powder, glass flit, organic binder, solvent and other additives has been used to form the electrodes of conventional crystalline silicon solar cells. Silver particles (silver powder) is mainly used for the electro-conductive powder. An electro-conductive paste containing tellurium oxide has been developed for use as this type of electro-conductive paste as described in Patent Documents 1 to 12.